Amnesty International Canada

Write for Rights at Vancouver Unitarian Church (Group 52)
2024-12-10 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Vancouver) | Vancouver Unitarian Church, 949 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z2T1, Canada
Join Amnesty International’s Group 52 at the Vancouver Unitarian Church at 49th and Oak on December 10 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of letter writing.

Write for Rights/Écrire, ça libère ! in Rogersville (New Brunswick)
2024-12-11 14:00 - 18:00 (America/St_Johns) | ForêStation Café, 11082 Rue Principale, Rogersville, New Brunswick, E4Y2S6, Canada
Join us for the world’s largest human rights campaign at the ForêStation Café in Rogersville, New Brunswick. Building on a school youth event on Dec. 10, this event on Dec. 11 will allow other community members to write in English or French to the 9 chosen prisoners and/or government officials in the countries where they are imprisoned.

Write for Rights in Rosebud, Alberta
2024-12-11 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Edmonton) | Rosebud Church, 404 Martin Avenue, Rosebud, Alberta, T0J 2T0, Canada
Join the world’s largest human rights campaign in Rosebud, Alberta, on December 11, 2024, from 7-9 PM. We will be letter writing for the 9 cases in 2024.

Write for Rights at Coaldale Public Library
2024-12-12 07:15 - 20:30 (America/Edmonton) | Coaldale Public Library, 2014 18th Street, Coaldale, Alberta, T1M 1E9, Canada
Join us at Coaldale Public Library to write letters in commemoration of International Human Rights Day. This event will take place Dec 12 from 7:15-8:30 pm in the McCain Gallery. All are welcome!
Registration is not required, but please RSVP so we can track the impact of the Write for Rights campaign worldwide.

Write for Rights 'Round Our World
2024-12-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | Community Centre, Maui, Wailuku, British Columbia, 96815, Canada
Join us for the Write for Rights ‘Round Our World event at the community center. We will host a letter-writing campaign to support human rights across the globe. During the event, we will share inspiring stories and encourage individuals to make a difference through their words and actions.

Write for Rights for Teens | Bostwick Library in London
2024-12-13 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Toronto) | Bostwick Library, 501 Southdale Road West, London, Ontario, N6K 3X4, Canada
Write a Letter. Change a Life. Join the world’s largest human rights event. Write letters and sign petitions in support of people at risk of human rights abuses.

Christie Gardens Write for Rights
2024-12-14 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Christie Gardens Apartments & Care, 602 Melita Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, M6G 3Z5, Canada
Our letter-writing group will gather signatures on petitions and invite letter-writing in our seniors’ residences. This is our ninth such event.

Write for Rights Day & Fundraiser Event
2024-12-14 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Westminster United Church, 4094 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Onatrio, L4W 1J5, Canada
Join us at our church for our annual Write for Rights letter signing and bake sale fundraiser. This event is part of Amnesty International’s campaign to support human rights. Enjoy delicious baked goods while making a difference by writing letters advocating for those whose rights are under threat.

Write for Rights in Smiths Falls
2024-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto) | Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls, 41 Market Street North, Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 2E7, Canada
Drop in to learn, write letters, and stand up for human rights!

Write for Rights in Campbell River
2024-12-14 13:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Vancouver Island Regional Library, 1240 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, British Columbia, V9W 2C8, Canada
Join us for the world’s largest human rights campaign, Write for Rights, at the downtown Campbell River Public Library from 1:00 pm to 4:30 on Saturday, December 14, 2024. There will be greeting cards to sign, letters to add to or sign, and information about Amnesty International.

Write for Rights at Hamilton Public Library (Central)
2024-12-14 14:00 - 16:30 (America/Toronto) | Hamilton Public Library – Central Library, 55 York Boulevard, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 4E4, Canada
✍️ WRITE A LETTER, CHANGE A LIFE! 🌍
Join us for a drop-in workshop and take part in the world’s largest human rights event. 💪 Together, we can make a difference by writing letters and signing petitions in support of those at risk of human rights abuses. ✉️📜

📍 Where: Hamilton Public Library, Central Library (Hamilton Room)
🗓 When: 2:30-4 pm on Saturday, December 14, 2024

Your voice matters! 🙌

Write for Rights at Westminster United Church
2024-12-15 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Toronto) | Westminster United Church, 4094 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Onatrio, L4W 1J5, Canada
Join us at Westminster United Church in Windsor for the annual Write for Rights letter-writing campaign.

Amnesty International Group 116 Write for Rights
2024-12-15 12:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | Rimbey United Church, 4931 51 ave, Rimbey, Alberta, T0C 2J0, Canada
Join us on Dec. 15, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Rimbey, AB, for an Amnesty International Group 116 Write for Rights event. We will gather to write letters and sign petitions in support of human rights. This is a great opportunity to come together as a community, make our voices heard, and contribute to the global Write for Rights campaign. Your participation can make a meaningful impact.

Write for Rights at Saint Paul's Anglican Church
2024-12-15 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Winnipeg) | Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, 830 North Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 1H9, Canada
During coffee time after our church service, parishioners and members of the neighbouring community will have the opportunity to write letters.

Write for Rights in North Vancouver
2024-12-28 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Vancouver) | Karen Magnussen Community Recreation Centre, 2300 Kirkstone Road, North Vancouver, British Columbia, V7J 1Z6, Canada
Write for Rights in North Vancouver at Karen Magnussen Community Recreation Centre.

Write for Rights for Teens | East London Library
2025-01-03 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | East London Library, 2016 Dundas Street, London, Ontario, N5V 1R1, Canada

Write for Rights for Teens | Stoney Creek Library in London
2025-01-08 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Toronto) | Stoney Creek Library, 920 Sunningdale Road East, London, Ontario, N5X 0H5, Canada

Group Nine Write for Rights
2025-01-11 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | First United Church, 16 William Street West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 1J3, Canada
We welcome members of the community to join us in writing letters and crafting messages of support for people suffering human rights abuses around the world.

Write for Rights at St. Patrick's Church in Victoria
2025-01-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver) | St. Patrick’s Parish Victoria, 2060 Haultain Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8R 2L7, Canada
Parishioners at St. Patrick’s Parish in Victoria, B.C. will come together to write letters and sign petitions for Write for Rights.

Écrire ça libère/Write for Rights at Université de Sherbrooke (Longueuil)
2025-01-16 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Université de Sherbrooke – Campus de Longueuil, 150, place Charles‑Le Moyne, C. P. 200, Longueuil, Quebec, J4K 0A8, Canada
Join us for a two-hour letter-writing session and petition signing as part of the Write for Rights campaign at the Université de Sherbrooke (Longueuil Campus). Open to the public with registration. Come, let’s advocate for human rights together.

Write for Rights for Teens | Byron Library in London
2025-01-18 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | Byron Library, 1295 Commissioners Road West, London, Ontario, N6K 1C9, Canada

Write for Rights for Teens | Beacock Library in London
2025-01-23 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Toronto) | Beacock Library, 1280 Huron St., London, Ontario, N5Y 4M2, Canada

My Friend Omar Film Screening
2025-04-28 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | St. Marys Public Library, 15 Church St. N, St.Marys, Ontario, N4X 1B4, Canada
ST. MARYS/LONDON/STRATFORD
The Amnesty International St. Marys/London/Stratford chapter is organizing a film screening of the documentary My Friend Omar at the St. Marys Public Library on Monday, April 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. to raise awareness of human rights abuses related to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Free event, all are welcome!
Film synopsis: My Friend Omar: The struggles of a seasonal worker follows Quebecois-Chilean actor Christian de la Cortina, who, while preparing for his role as Sandro in “5e rang,” forms a friendship with Omar, a seasonal Guatemalan worker. This documentary unveils the persistent abuses in some Quebec farms, exposing the shortcomings of a system meant to protect foreign workers during the harvest seasons. It also highlights Omar’s solidarity and fight for justice, representing the voice of often invisible workers.
WATCH THE TRAILER

For more information, contact activism@amnesty.ca.

Resilience, Resistance, Hope: An Evening with Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International
2025-05-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | AllSaints Event Space, 330 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6P9, Canada
Just one week after Canada’s federal election, global human rights leaders are coming to Ottawa to ask: What role will Canada play in defending human rights—and how will we respond to rising repression, even from our closest allies?
On Monday, May 5th at 6:00 PM, you’re invited to join us for a powerful evening at our Ottawa office featuring Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
🎤 What: “Resilience, Resistance, Hope: An Evening with Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International”
📅 When: Monday, May 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
📍 Where: AllSaints Event Space, 330 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa
✨ Details: A charcuterie-style menu will be served, including halal and vegan options, along with a cash bar for alcoholic beverages
Join Amnesty Canada’s Secretary General, Ketty Nivyabandi (moderator) and Agnès Callamard for a timely panel discussion on the global state of human rights with:

Paul O’Brien, Executive Director, Amnesty USA
Ana Piquer, Americas Director, Amnesty International
Edith Olivares Ferreto, Executive Director, Amnesty Mexico

This is an exclusive opportunity to connect with global and regional human rights leaders as they reflect on the urgency of defending rights during these chaotic and uncertain times—and how Canada must rise to meet this moment.
To confirm your spot, RSVP now. Please do not register if you do not plan to attend.
We look forward to sharing this powerful evening with you.

A Conversation with Ketty Nivyabandi
2025-05-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto) | Alberta
You are invited to an online conversation with Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General for Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section.
Be sure to register here in advance!
Ketty oversees Amnesty Canada’s domestic and international human rights mandate and is its lead representative.
A global human rights activist and advocate, Ketty holds in-depth expertise and lived experience in forced displacement, at-risk human rights defenders, civic space in conflict and political transitions, and the global intersections of gender, race, and human rights. Before seeking asylum in Canada in 2015, she braved police violence as the lead organizer of women’s peaceful protests for democratic change in her country, Burundi.
In her previous roles, Ketty has led research, advocacy, and communications strategies with women peace activists in several conflict and post-conflict countries, including Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Myanmar, Uganda, and Guatemala. Her work is rooted in people power, public accountability, and a feminist, decolonial approach to human rights.
Ketty studied international relations and is a former journalist and published poet. She lives in Ottawa with her two teenage daughters.

My Friend Omar Film Screening
2025-07-09 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Amnesty International Toronto, 1992 Yonge Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1Z7, Canada
Amnesty International invites you to a film screening of the documentary My Friend Omar at our Toronto office on Wednesday, July 9, at 6:30 p.m. to raise awareness of human rights abuses related to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Free event, all are welcome!
Film synopsis: My Friend Omar: The struggles of a seasonal worker follows Quebecois-Chilean actor Christian de la Cortina, who, while preparing for his role as Sandro in “5e rang,” forms a friendship with Omar, a seasonal Guatemalan worker. This documentary unveils the persistent abuses in some Quebec farms, exposing the shortcomings of a system meant to protect foreign workers during the harvest seasons. It also highlights Omar’s solidarity and fight for justice, representing the voice of often invisible workers.
The design of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) exposes labourers from the Global South to shocking abuse and discrimination, Amnesty International charges in a new report. ‘Canada has destroyed me’: Labour exploitation of migrant workers in Canada [PDF] criticizes the structure of the TFWP, which allows employers to hire migrant workers, primarily for low-paid jobs, across various sectors, including agriculture, food processing, the care system, construction and hospitality. TFWP work permits tie workers to a single employer who controls both their migration status and labour conditions.
Learn more about Amnesty’s report: https://amnesty.ca/features/temporary-foreign-workers-report/
WATCH FILM TRAILER

For more information, contact activism@amnesty.ca.

My Friend Omar Film Screening
2025-09-17 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Amnesty International Ottawa, 312 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 1H9, Canada
Amnesty International Canada Refugees & Migrants Specialized Team Ottawa Gatineau area invites you to a powerful evening of film, reflection, and action.
Free event, all are welcome!
We’re hosting a FREE screening of My Friend Omar — a moving documentary that tells the story of Wilson Omar Mendez, a migrant worker who faced abuse while working on a farm in Quebec. Through this film, we’ll explore the injustices within Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program and discuss how we can advocate for change. After the film, stay for a group discussion and action session where we’ll explore how to raise awareness, use creative media for advocacy, and take meaningful steps together. Everyone is welcome!

🗓️ Wednesday, September 17th
🕡 Doors open at 6:00 PM | Screening starts at 6:30 PM. Light Refreshments provided.

Where: Amnesty Ottawa Offices, 312 Laurier Avenue East

Migrant Workers Trapped in Canada’s Abusive Labour Program

The design of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) exposes labourers from the Global South to shocking abuse and discrimination, Amnesty International charges in a new report. ‘Canada has destroyed me’: Labour exploitation of migrant workers in Canada [PDF] criticizes the structure of the TFWP, which allows employers to hire migrant workers, primarily for low-paid jobs, across various sectors, including agriculture, food processing, the care system, construction and hospitality. TFWP work permits tie workers to a single employer who controls both their migration status and labour conditions.
Learn more about Amnesty’s report: https://amnesty.ca/features/temporary-foreign-workers-report/
WATCH FILM TRAILER

For more information, contact activism@amnesty.ca.

Breaking Free from Closed Work Permits: Symbolic Action on Parliament Hill
2025-09-22 18:00 (America/Toronto) | Parliament Hill, Wellington St, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A9, Canada
Migrant workers and allies are coming together for a symbolic action on Parliament Hill, as part of the Days of Action taking place across the country to call for an end to closed work permits, which trap workers by limiting their ability to freely change their employer. Instead, we are demanding that the government grant workers open work permits. Read more about the Days of Action here.
For the symbolic action, we have created large signs with slogans calling for open work permits and quotes from workers, which will be connected by a chain and tied around a group of people, to symbolize that closed work permits trap workers.
During the event, migrant workers will share their stories and experiences. If you would like to share your story or experience, but do not feel comfortable speaking publicly, you are welcome to share your story in writing to jsande@amnesty.ca and we can have a volunteer read it out.
Please invite your friends, family, and community members to attend with you!
🗓️ Monday, September 22nd
🕡 6:00 PM EDT

📍 Parliament Hill

Yintah Film Screening
2025-09-24 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Amnesty International Toronto, 1992 Yonge Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1Z7, Canada
Join us for an evening screening of Yintah, a powerful documentary that follows Wet’suwet’en land defenders as they stand against pipeline expansion on their territory. Told through the voices of two women leaders, the film captures the struggle, resilience, and ongoing fight for Indigenous sovereignty. Everyone is welcome!

📅 Wednesday, September 24th
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Amnesty Office — 1992 Yonge Street, Toronto

Free event, all are welcome!
Hosted by Amnesty International Canada’s Gender Rights Specialized Team.

For more information, contact activism@amnesty.ca.

Write for Rights at Ottawa Trinity United Church
2025-10-03 11:30 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Trinity United Church, 41 Market St N, Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 2E7, Canada
Join the world’s largest human rights campaign, Write for Rights, by writing letters and signing petitions. You’re welcome to join our hosted letter-writing event following our worship service at Ottawa’s Trinity United Church.
